Prepare against Richard A Bates
IM · United Kingdom · World #4,243 classical · FIDE ID 403555
Our database contains 1,172 games by Richard A Bates, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Below you'll find Richard A Bates's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Richard A Bates before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,296 | 2,397 | Nov 2017 |
| Rapid | 2,374 | 2,464 | Aug 2018 |
| Blitz | 2,268 | 2,355 | Jan 2018 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1,172 | 466 | 402 | 304 | 39.8% |
| As White | 586 | 254 | 197 | 135 | 43.3% |
| As Black | 586 | 212 | 205 | 169 | 36.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Richard A Bates's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Richard A Bates's side.
First moves as White (586 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 542 | 92.5% | 60.1% |
| e4 | 36 | 6.1% | 59.7% |
| Nf3 | 6 | 1.0% | 75.0% |
| c4 | 1 | 0.2% | 50.0% |
| g3 | 1 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.d4 — 92% of White games, 60.1% score
- …Nf6 (56% of these games) — Bates usually continues Nf3 (62.2% score)
- …d5 (23% of these games) — Bates usually continues c4 (59.8% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Bates usually continues Nf3 (55.8% score)
- 1.e4 — 6% of White games, 59.7% score
- …c5 (50% of these games) — Bates usually continues Nf3 (61.1% score)
- …e6 (19% of these games) — Bates usually continues d3 (90.0% score)
- …e5 (17% of these games) — Bates usually continues Nf3 (16.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (287 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 275 | 95.8% | 53.6% |
| e6 | 6 | 2.1% | 66.7% |
| g6 | 5 | 1.7% | 60.0% |
| e5 | 1 | 0.3% | 50.0% |
As Black against 1.d4 (191 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 183 | 95.8% | 52.7% |
| g6 | 3 | 1.6% | 33.3% |
| e6 | 3 | 1.6% | 33.3% |
| d6 | 2 | 1.0% | 25.0% |
Richard A Bates's chess games
All 1,172 games by Richard A Bates in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Aug 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 466 wins, 402 draws, 304 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D77 | Indian Defense | 80 | 41/19/20 | 51.3% |
| E04 | Catalan | 76 | 32/28/16 | 42.1% |
| E62 | King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation | 66 | 31/25/10 | 47.0% |
| D23 | Slav Defense | 49 | 19/23/7 | 38.8% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 40 | 13/17/10 | 32.5% |
| E10 | Benoni Defense | 37 | 18/11/8 | 48.6% |
| A43 | Modern Defense | 29 | 13/7/9 | 44.8% |
| E71 | King's Indian Defense | 27 | 11/6/10 | 40.7% |
| A43 | Horwitz Defense | 24 | 9/9/6 | 37.5% |
| D11 | Queen's Pawn Game | 21 | 10/7/4 | 47.6% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 116 | 49/25/42 | 42.2% |
| B50 | Sicilian | 51 | 16/20/15 | 31.4% |
| E61 | Indian Defense | 45 | 10/19/16 | 22.2% |
| E94 | King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation | 43 | 14/16/13 | 32.6% |
| B52 | Sicilian: Moscow Variation | 34 | 8/12/14 | 23.5% |
| B22 | Sicilian: Alapin | 32 | 14/11/7 | 43.8% |
| B23 | Sicilian: Closed | 31 | 14/12/5 | 45.2% |
| A36 | Modern Defense | 23 | 5/12/6 | 21.7% |
| E61 | King's Indian Defense | 22 | 10/6/6 | 45.5% |
| E62 | English Opening | 20 | 8/5/7 | 40.0% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2017 | David W L Howell | 2,702 | 5th London Kings Place Rapid Open | D79 |
| Dec 2016 | Benjamin Gledura | 2,584 | 92nd Hastings Masters | A81 |
| Jan 1995 | Mark L Hebden | 2,570 | 82nd ch-BCF | E71 |
| Dec 2010 | Deep Sengupta | 2,558 | 86th Hastings Masters Open | E10 |
| Feb 2021 | Nicholas Pert | 2,548 | Bunratty Online | E12 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECF Charity Marathon UKR | 2022 | 25 | 14 | 2,261 |
| Wch U14 | 1993 | 22 | 12.5 | 2,467 |
| Titled Tuesday | 2018 | 22 | 8.5 | 2,186 |
| Wch U16 | 1995 | 19 | 11.5 | 2,318 |
| London Classic Open | 2017 | 18 | 12 | 2,350 |
| Wch U20 | 1997 | 13 | 6 | 2,418 |
| Sutton Open | 1999 | 13 | 9.5 | 2,444 |
| chT-BCF 2122 (4NCL) | 2022 | 11 | 6.5 | 2,307 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Mark L Hebden (19 games) · Keith C Arkell (13 games) · Nicholas Pert (12 games) · Daniel W Gormally (11 games) · Richard G Pert (10 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 1,172 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Richard A Bates's chess games?
1,172 games by Richard A Bates, from Apr 2003 to Aug 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Richard A Bates has played.
What does Richard A Bates play on the first move as White?
Across 586 games with White in our database, Richard A Bates opens with 1.d4 (92% of games), 1.e4 (6% of games), 1.Nf3 (1% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Richard A Bates answers 1...c5 (96% of games), 1...e6 (2% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (96% of games), 1...g6 (2% of games), 1...e6 (2% of games).
What openings does Richard A Bates play as White?
As White, Richard A Bates's most-played openings in our database are: Indian Defense (80 games, 51.3% win rate); Catalan (76 games, 42.1% win rate); King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation (66 games, 47.0% win rate). The full breakdown of 586 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Richard A Bates play as Black?
As Black, Richard A Bates most often plays: Sicilian: Najdorf (116 games, 42.2% win rate); Sicilian (51 games, 31.4% win rate); Indian Defense (45 games, 22.2% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 586 games.
What is Richard A Bates's FIDE rating?
Richard A Bates is currently rated 2,296 in classical chess, 2,374 in rapid and 2,268 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,397 (Nov 2017).
How many games has Richard A Bates played?
Our database contains 1,172 games by Richard A Bates, covering Apr 2003 to Aug 2026. Overall record: 466 wins, 402 draws, 304 losses (39.8% win rate).
How do I prepare against Richard A Bates?
1,172 games by Richard A Bates reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.